


The Laws of Love

by Briar_Rose7



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, I wasn't expecting all these Swanfire feels in a Rumbelle story, Mentions of BraveWarrior, RCIJ 2017, Rumbelle Christmas in July 2017, Snow and David appear from time to time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-05 22:09:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11587167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Briar_Rose7/pseuds/Briar_Rose7
Summary: The Enchanted Forest hasn't been at peace for centuries, and everybody believes it will always be like that. Only the determination of young Princess Belle could change things, but what will she do when she starts falling for King Rumplestiltskin? Their respective positions make their relationship impossible and nothing more than a foolish dream. Unfortunately love doesn't know logic, or reason, which means it can lead to complete happiness or utter disaster.Happy RCIJ moonlight91!





	The Laws of Love

**Author's Note:**

> [moonlight91](http://moonlight91.tumblr.com) prompted: A unexpected royal courtship  
>  This prompt is awesome, and I had so much fun with this story! I am almost scared by its length, and I loved writing every bit of it. Okay, I had a few writing blocks along the way, but it was still so much fun. I hope you'll love it as much as I do.
> 
> Infinite thanks to [still-searching47](http://still-searching47.tumblr.com), my amazing beta. I really don't know what I'd do without you!

“This is outrageous!” 

After two days of failed negotiations, all the royals gathered around the table knew that screams were bound to start sooner rather than later every morning. What nobody had expected was that, today, it would be Princess Belle of Avonlea to give start to them. 

“I don’t see the reason behind your rage, Princess; my offer was legitimate and, I believe, favorable to us both,” King Gaston replied, leaning over the table with a predatory gleam in his eyes. 

Belle scoffed, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Mulan, her personal guard, putting her hand on her sword’s handle. Not that Mulan had needed to pull her sword out so far, but people tended to respect Belle more when her friend was around looking threatening. 

“Do you want a reason, Your Majesty?” she asked him. “Here’s three. First: ever since I wrote you my first letter, you’ve shown me nothing but disrespect. You ignored all my missives pleading for peace, and you’ve been diminishing me and my opinions from the moment we set foot in this castle. Even your poor attempts at complimenting my beauty are disrespectful. If your courtship were honest and proper, you would have bothered to listen to me at least _once_ over the past few days, and you would have realized that I do not enjoy your presence. Yet, instead of taking my no as an answer and accepting my rejection, you’ve kept bothering me, to the point of embarrassing us both on more than one occasion. Second: your men were pillaging my villages and killing my people until a few days ago. Third: I highly doubt that putting myself in the hands of a man who shows so little care for his and my subjects alike is going to help either of our people. So, I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t accept your marriage proposal.”

_Fourth_ , Belle thought, _you’re the one who sent an assassin after my father, causing him injuries he may not recover from._ But she couldn’t prove that, so she kept that reason to herself.

Princess Belle leaned back in her chair, her cheeks aflame with fury, and King Rumplestiltskin couldn’t help but think that any man with a shred of intelligence or dignity would apologize, then get up and leave the table. Apparently, Gaston lacked both of those qualities. 

“My my, such an aggressive reaction to such a normal proposal. I hope you’re aware that marriage is considered one of the best ways to secure an alliance, but I suppose your young age makes you more prone to following your whims than your reason. Now you can all see why I expressed my concern about sending an inexperienced princess to sit amongst kings and queens,” Gaston replied, apparently not bothered at all by Belle’s rejection.

A caustic response was already on the tip of Belle’s tongue, but Queen Cora’s intervention stopped her.

“Feelings and inexperience aside, I don’t think this marriage would have been a fair and proper solution in this case anyway,” Cora said. “As far as I know, we’re here to find balance and peace for _all_ our kingdoms, not to merge two of them so that they can prevail over the others.”

Her calm observation was met with an enthusiastic agreement. Rumplestiltskin would have been much more impressed by Cora’s words if only she hadn’t snuck into his room during their first night in the castle, and tried to seduce him. He’d thought the incident solved after he had expressed no interest in her or her deals, and tossed her out of his chambers, but the following night Cora’s daughter, Zelena, had tried to pull the same stunt on him. He was glad that Cora’s other daughter, Regina, had run off with a stable boy and hence been disowned, because this meant he might actually get some sleep tonight, and he really needed that.

Rumplestiltskin sighed as the room fell into another chaotic discussion. For years now he’d been trying to fix the mess his father’s rule had left behind, but Malcolm’s old allies hadn’t liked the idea of losing the support Malcolm had once granted them. Too bad that the royals his father had been most acquainted with were the ones Rumplestiltskin loathed the most; yet one more proof, he guessed, of how different he and his father were. 

“How can it be so hard?” Baelfire asked, keeping his voice low so that only his father would hear.

Rumplestiltskin turned around to look at his son, who stared at the squabbling royals without understanding.

“How can it be so hard to find an agreement? People are dying, and we want peace; why can’t we just… stop fighting?” Baelfire went on.

Rumplestiltskin smiled sadly at him. His boy was his pride and joy, but his young age usually led him to have too much trust in people, and to see the world as a much better place than it actually was.

“It’s hard because none of them actually want peace,” Rumplestiltskin answered in a whisper. “Well, maybe some of them do, but most of the people gathered around this table are here to put their hands on as much land as possible. They want to keep the territories they took with force, without losing one inch of their own lands.”

“It’s horrible,” Baelfire commented.

“It is, and I’m afraid that, should we ever reach an agreement, it will come at the expense of those who are too noble or too weak to play the same dirty game as the others.”

As he spoke, Rumplestiltskin eyed Queen Merida, whose kingdom, albeit extremely fierce, was so small that it would have fallen prey to the others years before, had its borders not been mostly in common with the friendly Avonlea. Unfortunately, Avonlea was another kingdom he considered at risk. Despite her surprising determination and admirable intelligence, Princess Belle lacked any trace of malice or cruelty, and that was likely to leave her prey to the greed of the others. He suspected that, rather than let more innocent people die, she’d eventually surrender parts of her land to grant the general peace.

The smaller kingdoms of the Enchanted Forest had been quarreling for longer than anyone could remember. It was never an actual war, since they all knew they couldn’t overcome each other, but their borders had never been at peace for long, and lands were constantly stolen and reconquered at the cost of endless human lives. King Malcolm, with his endless greed and reckless government, had almost caused a disaster. He’d forged alliances with Cora’s Northern Kingdom and the LeGume’s realm, ready to take every last scrap of land by force. However, Malcolm’s sudden death, which was still wrapped in a mystery to this day, had thrown his kingdom into chaos, and luckily ended the war before it could even begin. Everyone else had gone back to their old fights, until a young and determined princess, Belle of Avonlea, had decided to put an end to this madness once and for all. She’d written dozens of letters to all the royals involved, and when she had barely gotten any positive responses, she’d resorted to the help of the biggest realm in the Enchanted Forest, currently ruled by Queen Snow White and King David. 

The King and Queen had greatly appreciated her intent, and they’d been so generous that they’d personally written another letter to all the monarchs that had ignored her, inviting them to their own castle, a neutral territory, for negotiation. Since Snow and David’s kingdom dwarfed all of theirs, no one had been able to turn a deaf ear to that convocation.

That’s why Rumplestiltskin was now stuck in this room full of lies and hypocrisy, and he could only hope that this wouldn’t end as badly as he feared.

* * *

Hours later, that day’s meeting was declared concluded, unsurprisingly, without having accomplished anything. Rumplestiltskin was suffering dearly from being forced to sit all day long, so he immediately headed towards the gardens, looking forward to a long, relaxing walk. He felt better as soon as he was engulfed by the quiet of the park, away from the other’s chatter and prying eyes.

As he neared the impressive roses bushes at the west edge of the garden, however, he heard someone faintly sobbing. He headed towards the sound, and he didn’t stop even when the sobbing changed to hurried whispers, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone walking on the garden’s gravel. Rumplestiltskin quickened his pace, intrigued by the mystery and determined to make sure no one was being hurt, and he ended up almost crashing into Princess Belle.

An apology immediately fell off his lips as he helped steady her, but the Princess was looking down and away from him, and it took him a moment to realize that she was trying to hide her red, puffy eyes. She was the person he’d heard crying a few moments earlier. 

“Forgive my audacity, Princess, but is everything alright? You seem… distressed,” he asked timidly, not wanting to make her feel like he was intruding on her privacy. 

She looked up at him then, and Rumplestiltskin couldn’t help but think that the tears made her impossibly blue eyes stand out even more.

“I’m perfectly fine, thank you. I’m sorry for running into you; now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way,” she responded, stepping away from his arms. 

As she walked past him, Rumplestiltskin couldn’t help but notice that she was clutching a letter in her hand, a letter with the royal seal of Avonlea on it. Even though she had excused herself, and manners required that he let her go without further ado, he couldn’t help but ask her one more question.

“How is your father doing?”

King Maurice had been supposed to attend this meeting, while his daughter would have presumably stayed in Avonlea to rule on his behalf, but he’d suffered a vicious assault just a few days before he was scheduled to leave his castle, and his health was still precarious. If Belle had just received a letter from her homeland and she was crying, then maybe…

“He is doing better, thank the gods,” Belle said, her lips finally curling up in a smile as she turned to face Rumplestiltskin. “I just got the news. He won’t be in perfect shape anytime soon, but he’ll live.”

As she spoke, a couple of new tears ran down her cheeks, and she hastily wiped them away. Tears of relief, then, and Rumplestiltskin couldn’t have been more glad. 

“I’m very happy to hear that. You really are a brave woman, Princess Belle,” he said.

Belle’s brow furrowed in confusion. 

“Are you making fun of me? I fail to see my bravery in all of this. If anything, I’d like to ask you to keep this meeting a secret; the last thing I need is for everyone else to think of me as a sniveling, emotional little girl,” she spat out, maybe a bit more aggressively than she would have liked. 

This was the reason why she’d tried to hide her tears by walking away, alerted by Mulan’s vigilant ears that someone was approaching them. She wasn’t taken seriously already, so she couldn’t afford to show any kind of weakness. For a moment, she’d thought that King Rumplestiltskin might be different from the others, and that he’d be kind enough not to mock her, but given his comment she’d obviously been wrong.

“I assure you that making fun of you was the farthest thing from my mind,” Rumplestiltskin explained, hurt by the bitterness in her voice. “I do think you’re brave, and I don’t know how you or anyone else could fail to see it. You left your castle even though you knew that your father was on the verge of death, and I think that requires a lot of bravery. The kingdoms of the Enchanted Forest have been enemies forever, and no one has ever been able to change that, but you were so determined to achieve peace and protect your people, that somehow you managed what everyone else would have deemed impossible. Other people may try to diminish you, but please, don’t do it yourself. In my humble opinion, your strength and your bravery are admirable, and many people in this castle should take you as an example.”

Princess Belle was blushing by the time he finished talking and, for a few terrifying moments, Rumplestiltskin thought he’d gone too far. His words were too personal, and they had come dangerously close to those of a suitor trying to woo his lady. He was half expecting the Princess to excuse herself and walk away, but instead her eyes lit up as she flashed him another of her beautiful smiles. 

“Thank you. This really means a lot to me. I apologize for mistaking your intentions, and for my rude behavior,” Belle said.

“Oh, it’s no matter, really,” he replied, overcome with relief. 

Suddenly, Rumplestiltskin felt incredibly awkward, not knowing what to do next and feeling that anything he could possibly say would be extremely stupid. Thank the gods, Belle brought them out of their impasse. 

“There’s a nice bench amongst the rose bushes, over there.” She pointed over his shoulder. “That’s where I was sitting before I heard you coming. Would you mind sitting with me for a while?”

He nodded stiffly, and followed her for the brief distance to the bench, Mulan always trailing behind them. Belle’s personal guard had the incredible ability to go unnoticed most of the time, always moving silently and speaking very rarely. Rumplestiltskin had the distinct impression that many people only noticed her once her sword was against their throats. 

“You know, I still have to thank you for the way you answered my first letter,” Belle said once they were sitting. “You’re amongst the few who didn’t ignore me or insult me. I can’t even express how much I appreciate that.”

“Well, that’s almost unbelievable. Judging from what little I know about you, I’d say you’re incredibly skilled with words,” he quipped. 

Surprisingly enough, his silly remark made Belle giggle.

“Well, I’m glad you noticed. I pride myself on being a well read person, and it’s nice to meet someone that recognizes the importance of words,” Belle said. 

“I’ve always liked small weapons, you see. The needle, the pen, the fine points of a deal,” Rumplestiltskin explained, and for a moment his gaze was distant, like he was remembering something far away in his past. Then the moment was gone, and he was looking at Belle again. 

“Well, your sword seems to differ,” she said, pointing at the weapon that never left his side. 

“My sword is a necessity and a formality I’ve grown used to, but my point stands. Swords are good for defending yourself from an immediate danger, but they are the epitome of bloodshed, of lives being lost. It’s with words and deals that you keep people safe in the long run,” he reasoned.

Belle listened, fascinated by his words, leaning closer to him without even realizing it.

“I long for peace just as much as you do, Princess. I just wish I had your determination and your hope in pursuing it,” Rumplestiltskin concluded.

He was suddenly aware of just how close Belle’s face was to his, and the realization almost startled him. Belle must have realized it too, because she pulled back a little, feeling self-conscious all at once. 

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s determination or foolishness,” Belle admitted, looking down and fidgeting with the fabric of her green gown.

“Who knows, maybe it’s a bit of both. I bet all those who accomplished the impossible were considered fools at first,” Rumplestiltskin suggested.

“Thank you,” Belle murmured. 

She was sincerely and pleasantly confused by Rumplestiltskin’s encouragement. Throughout their little conversation, he’d done nothing but support her, and she couldn’t for her life fathom why. True, the relationship between their two kingdoms wasn’t terrible, but in this setting they were supposed to be, if not enemies, at least rivals. Yet here he was, speaking to her like a friend. Silence fell over them as she tried to find the words to express all of her gratitude and admiration towards him, and she was just about to speak when Mulan interrupted them.

“I’m sorry, Princess, but we should head back to the castle. It’s getting dark, and dinner will be served soon.”

Mulan’s voice brought them both out of their reverie, dissipating the intensity of the moment. Belle scrambled to her feet, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward. She apologized to Mulan for being late, and turned to face Rumplestiltskin once again.

“I apologize for keeping you for so long. I didn’t realize it was getting late,” he said immediately.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. I really enjoyed our little chat, and I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised by your kindness. Judging from what little I knew of you, I was expecting you to be a good king. Now I think I can say that you’re a good man as well, and it’s not common to find a royal who is both. You’re not who I thought you were, and I’m glad,” Belle said, giving him a little curtsey, both to show her admiration and as a goodbye.

“You flatter me, Princess. It was my pleasure as well,” he responded, bowing in return.

Rumplestiltskin stood near the bench a little longer, watching the princess walk away. Suddenly, he was looking forward to the dinner, and to the chance of talking to her again.

“Is everything alright, Princess?” Mulan asked Belle as soon as they were out of Rumplestiltskin’s earshot.

“Of course, why do you ask? And I’ve told you time and time again that there’s no need to be so formal with me when there’s no one around,” Belle said.

She was feigning innocence, but Mulan knew her friend well enough to understand when she was trying to avoid a subject.

“I’m asking you because I saw the way you and King Rumplestiltskin behaved around each other, and now you’re acting strange. Were you two _flirting_?” Mulan queried.

Belle stopped and turned to look at her friend, a shocked expression on her face.

“Flirting? Gods, no, of course not. We were just talking, getting to know each other a little better,” she said, shaking her head.

“Good. Because you have to remember, Belle, that no matter how kind some of these people might look, no one here is your friend. Merida is the only exception, but your kingdoms have been allies for decades. Don’t lower your guard, because everyone here is a master of deceit, and there’s no one you can really trust.”

There was no judgment in Mulan’s words, only a quiet warning. Belle knew that her friend was only doing her job, protecting her princess and her people, but for some reason it hurt to hear her diminishing Rumplestiltskin like that. It hurt to be brought back to reality, and to be reminded of the full weight of her responsibilities after such a nice chat. For the first time in years, Belle felt the desire to be a little selfish.

* * *

Later that night, Baelfire was in the stables, saddling his horse and getting ready for a late ride. The park looked like a faerie den under the gentle light of the full moon, and he couldn't wait to explore it, even though he would have to wake up early the following morning for another boring and pointless meeting. No one paid him any attention anyway, so no one but his father would notice his tiredness. 

Baelfire was busy checking if the saddle was secured when a hooded figure entered the stables. Walking in the shadows, the stranger neared one of the stalls, one that was closed with a heavy lock, and started working to open it. Baelfire wondered why a thief would chose the only stall that was locked, and his hand was already inching towards his sword, when the hooded figure managed to get the lock open. Letting out a little squeal of enthusiasm, the stranger made an abrupt movement, making the hood fall from their head. 

Even in the dim light, it was impossible not to recognize Princess Emma, who now had covered her mouth with her hand and was scanning her surroundings, wondering if someone had heard her. She didn’t notice Baelfire, and when she turned her back towards him, focusing on the horse, he stepped out of the shadows and came closer to her. 

“Impressive, but really, you could have just asked for the key. You’re the princess, they would have given it to you,” he said casually, as if he hadn’t just caught her red handed. 

When Emma heard his voice, she startled and turned around, her eyes wide in shock. 

“What the hell?” she yelled. Then, remembering that she was trying to be sneaky, she lowered her voice and added: “What are _you_ doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question. After all, I’m not the one who is trying to steal a horse that’s already mine,” Baelfire rebutted.

Emma huffed and crossed her arms against her chest. 

“I wasn’t stealing her, okay? I just wanted to take a ride. My parents never let me out unguarded, let alone at night. That’s why there’s a lock on Ducky’s stall, but I can take care of myself, okay? So, just pretend you never saw me, and I’ll pretend I never saw you,” Emma suggested briskly. 

She was glaring daggers at Baelfire, but there was only one thing about her speech that had caught his attention.

“Ducky?” he chuckled.

“Yes, I named my horse Ducky. Any problems with that?” Emma retorted. 

“No, absolutely not. I called mine Spindle,” he said, raising his hands in mock surrender.

“So, _Prince Baelfire_ , did you decide that you’d rather sleep in the stables than in our castle, or were you sneaking out just as much as I was?” Emma inquired. 

The way she stressed his title made Baelfire chuckle again; that damn girl was teasing him!

“How about I tell you while we take a ride together?” he suggested.

“I’m not taking a ride with you. You might have bad intentions,” Emma answered, but there was mirth in her eyes. 

“I’m not the one who is picking locks in a black cape here. Plus, if we got caught you could always blame me for everything. You can say that you were only here to give Ducky an apple, and I convinced you to sneak out,” Baelfire insisted. 

Emma eyed him suspiciously.

“Why would you do that? My parents would probably kill you,” she said, unconvinced. 

“I think that, should we get caught, my father would be the first to kill me, no matter what explanation we could come up with. At least I can be a gentleman and spare your parents the heartbreak,” he reasoned. 

“Fine,” Emma conceded eventually. “You can come with me as long as you keep up. Let’s see if you’re as good with your horse as you are with your words.”

A few minutes later two horses were launched at full speed under the moonlight, as their riders tried and failed to suppress their giggles of excitement. 

* * *

The following afternoon, Princess Belle was once again in the garden, engrossed in a book as Mulan trained nearby with Queen Merida. Not many royals would accept to be bested by someone else’s guard, and not many commoners were bold enough to send a Queen to the ground, but neither Mulan nor Merida cared too much about titles and propriety.

“May I sit next to you, Princess?” 

Rumplestiltskin’s warm voice made Belle startle, and she hurriedly closed her book, looking up at him. 

“Of course,” she agreed, a big smile forming on her face.

Belle had tired to listen to Mulan’s warning, she really had. She hadn’t talked to Rumplestiltskin more than was necessary during the day, and she hadn’t asked him to come and find her in the garden. Sure, she had sat on the exact same bench they had shared the day before, but she hadn’t actively sought out his company. If he just so happened to walk the same path he had walked yesterday, well, who was she to complain? It certainly wasn’t reason enough to be rude and refuse him a seat.

“Are you sure I’m not disturbing you? You seemed quite busy,” he said, pointing at her tome. 

“It’s alright. I’ve already read this one dozens of times. It’s the first book my mother ever read to me, and I’ve loved it ever since,” Belle explained.

She was aware that she was smiling like a fool as she talked, but she just couldn’t help it; she always got a bit giddy when her books were involved. She tenderly stroked the book cover, tilting it so that Rumplestiltskin could read the title.

“ _Her Handsome Hero,”_ he read out loud, his expression both surprised and amused. “It’s not what I was expecting from you, I have to admit it. I don’t think any hero, handsome or not, could compete with you.”

“You flatter me, Your Majesty. Despite what the title may suggest at first, however, this isn’t a story about some muscled and brainless hunk who slays dragons for a living and eventually marries an unnamed princess he met five seconds before. Gods only know we have enough of those stories already. This time, it’s the princess that’s at the center of the story, that’s why it’s called ‘ _Her_ Handsome Hero’; because she chooses him, and fights to be with him, and also teaches him a couple of things in the meantime,” Belle summarized, her eyes gleaming with enthusiasm. 

“Yes, that is definitely more like you,” Rumplestiltskin observed, sitting beside her on the bench.

“It’s a story on how heroism isn’t just about being strong and defeating monsters; it’s about being kind, compassionate, and wise. It’s about choosing to be a hero rather than being born to be one. The most amazing thing is that whenever I re-read it, I notice something else in it. It’s like it grows with me, like it has so many layers and hidden meanings that I can always find what I need in it, no matter how many years pass or how much I change.”

Belle forced herself to shut up, knowing that, if she didn’t control herself, she would probably end up talking for an hour and telling Rumplestiltskin the whole story by heart; the last thing she wanted was to bore him. 

“It sounds fascinating,” Rumplestiltskin said instead, not at all bothered by her enthusiasm. “So, did you find what you needed in it today?” he asked.

“Sort of,” Belle admitted. “Whenever I’m feeling down, this book gives me hope and faith, but the main reason why I brought it along is that it reminds me of my mother. I hope I can be as strong as she was.”

Belle was once again distractedly stroking the book cover, and Rumplestiltskin gently put his hand over hers, in what he hoped would be a comforting gesture. 

“I’m sorry for your loss. It’s not something you ever quite get over, is it?” he asked.

“No, it isn’t. I was just a child when she died, and I wish… I wish we had more time together. They didn’t even let me see her in her last days, in fear that I’d catch her illness. I felt so helpless,” Belle whispered. 

There were tears in her eyes, and Rumplestiltskin ached to comfort her. He knew how she felt; his own mothers, the two women who had raised him, had died when he was seventeen. He’d felt so lost back then, and he couldn’t even begin to imagine what it must have felt like for Belle, who had been even younger. 

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t want to burden you with my memories. It seems all I can do with you is cry, and I hope this isn’t giving you the wrong idea about me,” Belle said, trying to wipe away her tears. 

Rumplestiltskin immediately offered her his handkerchief, and she took it, flashing him a watery smile.

“Please, stop apologizing,” he pleaded. “You’re under a lot of stress, you just brought up a really painful memory, and only a beast could resent you for having human emotions. Don’t worry about your tears, not with me. Please.”

“You’re incredible.” Belle shook her head in disbelief.

“I don’t think there’s anything incredible about me. I’m a man like many others.”

“Not so many, I dare say,” Belle objected. “You ascended to the throne when Camelot was falling apart, and somehow managed to put your broken kingdom back together; you are a good man who rules with kindness and wisdom, and you’ve raised a clever and sweet prince, who will no doubt rule with just as much expertise.”

Rumplestiltskin couldn’t help but smile at the mention of Baelfire.

“I’m sure that he’ll be a far better king than I could ever be. He’s braver than I ever was, and his heart is pure. My only concern is that he seems to be growing intolerant to all kind of rules. He loves to get in trouble,” Rumplestiltskin explained, a light chuckle escaping him. He had the utmost trust in his son, and he didn’t truly mind his shenanigans, but sometimes he worried that Baelfire’s spirited attitude would eventually put him in danger’s way.

“I think it’s perfectly normal to be a bit of a rebel at his age. What is he, eighteen?” Belle asked.

“Yes, he is. I suppose you’re right, but you know how it is with parents; we can’t help but worry. I sheltered him my entire life, and sometimes I wonder if I went overboard, if a few more responsibilities would have grounded him a bit,” he admitted.

“I’m sure he will be fine. Let him enjoy his young age, responsibilities can wait,” Belle said sagely.

“Yet you’re only a few years older than him, and you already take care of your kingdom like a true queen,” Rumplestiltskin pointed out. 

“I’m the strange one; I’ve been a bookworm for as long as I can remember. While the other girls dreamed about knights in shining armor, I locked myself into the library to study languages and history. It was easy to turn me into a responsible princess early on, and I’m sure your son would find me incredibly boring should we ever talk. Let him have his fun, no matter if it leaves him a bit groggy in the morning,” Belle concluded, stifling a giggle at the memory of Prince Baelfire’s tiredness that morning.

“So you noticed? I was hoping no one had,” Rumplestiltskin griped, letting out a small laugh of his own. 

“I don’t think many other people noticed, but it was pretty evident to me. Luckily for you, many of the other royals have egos so big that they can hardly see anything besides themselves,” Belle commented. 

It was true; Baelfire was overlooked by most people in the meeting room for the sheer fact that he wasn’t the one currently in charge of his kingdom. It was the same reason why Belle had such a hard time being taken seriously. Unlike the others, Belle had tried not to ignore anyone since the first day, but she honestly wasn’t sure that she would have noticed Baelfire’s sleepiness if she hadn’t been keeping a close eye on his father. 

“He was so exhausted that I barely felt the need to make a remark about his irresponsibility. Apparently, he spent a good part of the night riding his horse around the garden, and I think his tiredness was punishment enough. A part of me hopes that it will serve as a lesson, but I don’t really believe it will,” Rumplestiltskin concluded. 

It was nice to hear him talk about his son. His whole demeanor changed when he did, his voice turning softer and his eyes gleaming with affection.

“Is everything alright, Princess?” Mulan asked, once again interrupting their chat. 

Belle turned around to face her friend, feeling a little guilty, as if she were a child caught doing something forbidden. Belle hadn’t even realized that Mulan had stopped sparring with Merida and had gotten closer to them. Her personal guard was not-so-subtly glaring daggers at Rumplestiltskin, and Belle wanted both to reassure her and prevent her from offending him.

“Yes, Mulan, I’m fine. There’s no need to worry,” she said, casting her a meaningful and poignant glance.

Belle really liked talking to Rumplestiltskin, and she didn’t want to stop because of the vague possibility that he might not be as honest as he seemed. For once, Belle wanted to throw caution and responsibility out of the window, and she hoped that she could make Mulan understand and accept it. 

“Good,” Mulan conceded eventually, after a few moments of tense silence. “But I’m done practicing, so if you don’t mind I’ll stick closer to you from now on.”

Belle sighed in relief; it was a start. Mulan was still eyeing Rumplestiltskin with suspicion, and she didn’t look happy at all, but she had decided to trust Belle’s judgment on the matter. After all, Belle thought, it wasn’t as if she was doing something bad. She might be making a friend, and nothing bad could possibly come out of that. 

* * *

As the days passed, Belle’s late afternoon chats with Rumplestiltskin became a regular event. Every day, once the meeting with the other royals was over, Belle would retreat to what was now their bench, and wait for Rumplestiltskin to join her. They never got there together, partly because they didn’t want to start any rumors, and partly because they still didn’t want to admit out loud that their meetings had become a fixed and cherished part of their days. They never talked about seeing each other the next day, yet they always both showed up.

Belle had never experienced with anyone else the connection she felt with Rumplestiltskin. He seemed to understand her more than anyone had ever done, and he never grew tired of listening to her. Without even realizing it, in a few days she had told him more about herself than she’d told anyone in years. Every evening, as she watched him walk away, she promised herself that the following day she’d stop vexing him with her endless chatter, and let him do most of the talking. Yet he always managed to bring up a subject that thrilled her, and she always ended up talking through the entire meeting. She was frustrated with herself; she wanted to know more about him, yet she didn’t seem able to shut up for a little while.

Belle had believed that Mulan had accepted, albeit a bit reluctantly, the situation, until one day she interrupted them a lot earlier than she usually did, and challenged Rumplestiltskin to a duel.

“I beg your pardon?” Rumplestiltskin asked, confused. 

“My usual sparring partner, Queen Merida, had to leave early today. I was wondering if Your Highness would be up for a quick duel,” Mulan explained. 

It was on the tip of her tongue to provoke him by pointing out that dueling with her would be an offense to the etiquette just as much as his meetings with Belle were, but she decided against it. She wanted to hear his response first, and work from that.

“Mulan, are you sure about this?” Belle asked, before Rumplestiltskin could say anything. 

There was a clear warning in the Princess’ gaze, together with a good deal of confusion. Belle trusted Mulan, but at the same time she couldn’t understand why she was doing this. Mulan wouldn’t be so foolish, or so stupid, as to make an attempt on Rumplestiltskin’s life, but if she didn’t want to hurt him, what was the reason behind her request?

“It’s no matter, really. A bit of practice could probably do me good,” Rumplestiltskin allowed, rising from the bench and following Mulan towards the clearing where she usually dueled. 

His voice was calm but there was a strange, almost dangerous, gleam in his eyes; it was clear that he was well aware of what was really going on. He didn’t begrudge Mulan for her wariness, but he wouldn’t let her make a fool out of him either. He’d show her that he wasn't afraid, and he’d play along with her little game until she revealed her true intentions. 

Belle watched with bated breath as Rumplestiltskin and Mulan got into position, drawing their swords and staring at each other like feral animals. The first sound of metal clashing against metal made her wince. Neither of the contestants were wearing any armor, so the only noise was caused by their swords colliding, and Belle couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if one of them made a mistake, if a misstep or a small distraction would turn this into a tragedy. Rationally, she knew that they were both taking it easy so far, studying each other without trying anything too risky, yet she couldn’t help but worry. In the tension of the moment, it didn’t occur to her that she’d never worried before when she watched Mulan or other soldiers train. 

Mulan was sincerely impressed. King Rumplestiltskin, with his refined manners and desire for peace, had not struck her as the sort of king who would dedicate much time to the art of swordfighting, as men like Gaston did. She had expected Rumplestiltskin to have only learned the basics, and that she’d be able to best him in no time. Apparently, Rumplestiltskin really was a layered man, like Belle had once told her. He was clever and patient, waiting for her to attack without exposing himself too much, and he was swifter than she had expected. Still, Mulan knew that he was no match for her; it took her a bit longer than expected, and she couldn’t play with him as she’d planned to do, but soon enough Rumplestiltskin was with on back, on the ground, disarmed.

“You fought valiantly, Your Highness,” Mulan admitted, as she leaned down to help him stand up. As soon as she got ahold of his hand, however, she pulled him forward, so that her mouth was mere inches away from his ear. “If you try anything untoward with the Princess, nothing will save you from my wrath, understood?” she whispered viciously, controlled fury radiating off of her.

Rumplestiltskin nodded, unafraid but well aware that Mulan’s words weren’t just an empty promise. 

“I’m glad to see that Princess Belle is really well protected,” he commented, not bothering to whisper even though Belle was approaching them. She would think that he was praising Mulan’s skill in battle, and that was part of the truth after all. 

“Oh, Mulan is the best guard I could possibly hope for,” Belle complimented promptly. “And she’s a wonderful friend as well.”

Belle was visibly more relaxed now that the match was over, and even Mulan’s fury seemed to have mostly dissipated. Rumplestiltskin walked back to the bench with the Princess, only slightly bothered by the bruises that were surely forming on his backside after his fall. 

“I hope she wasn’t too hard on you,” Belle said, noticing his discomfort.

“No, it’s fine. She really is an amazing warrior, and if she weren’t your guard already I’d try to hire her, though I don’t think she likes me very much,” Rumplestiltskin replied, smirking. 

“It’s not a personal thing, she’s instinctively diffident to almost everyone she meets,” Belle explained, well aware that she wasn’t telling the whole story. “But once you’ve gained her trust and respect, she’s the most loyal person you could ever imagine.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Rumplestiltskin said. 

The rest of the evening went by uneventfully as Rumplestiltskin and Belle kept exchanging stories and thoughts, and Belle had almost forgotten about the improvised duel, until Mulan brought it up again as they walked back towards the castle.

“King Rumplestiltskin fought better than I thought he would,” she said as a starter, and Belle eyed her curiously. “You can learn many things about a person by dueling with them, and I have to admit… I might have misjudged him. Maybe he really is a good man,” she conceded eventually.

“I’m glad you think so,” Belle exclaimed. “He is becoming a really precious friend to me.”

“Friend? Nothing else? Because he’s definitely courting you,” Mulan said, looking sternly at her. 

Belle gaped at her, her cheeks turning a beet red. 

“Courting me? What gave you that idea? We’re just friends, that’s all. We both know that the last thing our kingdoms need is an impromptu union,” Belle explained hastily.

“Be that as it may, he looks like he’s courting you, and you look like it pleases you,” Mulan pointed out, definitely not convinced. 

“What, you’ve gone from not trusting him to trying to play matchmaker in a single evening? You surprise me,” Belle said playfully. 

She was trying to divert Mulan’s attention, and they both knew it, but Mulan let her get away with it. The important thing was that Belle was aware of the risks she could incur, and that Rumplestiltskin hadn’t shown any fear or guilt in the face of Mulan’s threat, which spoke well for his honesty. All things considered, it had been a good day. 

* * *

“I was starting to think you weren’t coming,” Emma said, as Baelfire entered the stables. 

They always met at night, once most of the people in the castle had gone to sleep, and it was normal for one of them to be a bit late from trying to sneak out unnoticed; today, however, Baelfire had been missing for almost an hour.

“Sorry about that, I just couldn’t get rid of my father. He’s weird these days, and today he seemed to be in a particularly good mood. He kept talking, asking me if I’m enjoying our stay in the castle or if the meetings are too much of a burden to me. I mean, it’s not like we never talk, but he was just… weird,” Baelfire explained. 

“Well, I hope you told him that everything in the castle is definitely to your liking. Especially the people who live in it,” Emma said teasingly, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

“Of course,” Baelfire replied, grinning like a fool. 

Princess Emma had turned his life upside down with the force of a hurricane; she’d struck him with her incredible vitality, her inner goodness and her general disregard for the rules, and he’d fallen for her hard and fast. 

“I snatched some pastries from the kitchen. They would have been warm if only you’d gotten here on time,” Emma said, handing him the bag with the sweets. 

“How about we go eat somewhere that doesn’t stink of dung?” he suggested.

“Fair enough.”

Even though they always met at the stables, they didn’t always go for a horseride; as much as it was fun, it was also tiring and definitely less sneaky than a stroll in the park. So they simply walked until they reached their favorite spot: a small clearing surrounded by hawthorn bushes.

It was so nice to sit on the moonlit grass and simply talk, eating cold pastries and laughing until their stomachs hurt. It was nice to pretend that the world outside didn’t exist, and that it was just the two of them, with no duties, no responsibilities, no heavy crowns waiting to be worn by them. Deep down, they both knew that their story had no future. Soon enough, an agreement would be reached, and Baelfire would have to go back to Camelot, never to see Emma again. They never talked about that; mentioning their impending doom would have meant acknowledging it, and they were both trying to ignore it as much as possible. Their time together was already limited, they couldn’t waste it thinking about how and when it would end. For now, they just wanted to enjoy their secret little dream.

* * *

No later than two weeks after that night, an official agreement was finally reached. Despite some royals still mumbling curses and offenses under their breaths, everyone had to admit that it was simply impossible to find a better compromise. Queen Snow White and King David were overjoyed, and even called upon the fairies, so that the treaties of peace could be signed in their presence. By attending the official signing, the fairies would become the guardians of the newfound peace. 

Belle couldn’t fail to notice how stiffly Rumplestiltskin acted around the fairies. He seemed to loathe the Blue Fairy more than the others, yet she acted as if she knew him. What could possibly be the reason for his hatred? Fairies were known to be kind, helpful magical beings that protected those who were pure of heart. Consumed with curiosity, she resolved to ask him about it during their afternoon chat, which would also be their last.

However, when she casually brought up the topic later that day, she immediately realized that she might have underestimated the gravity of the problem. Rumplestiltskin seemed to go stiff from head to toe, and he looked at her like he was torn between anger and shame. 

“It’s a long story,” he said dryly. 

His reticence only made her more curious. She really didn’t want to pry, but sometimes she just couldn’t help herself. 

“But why would you be angry at creatures that are known for being peaceful and kind? I don’t understand,” she insisted. 

“I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” he spat out, raising from the bench.

Belle got up as well, feeling incredibly stupid. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t want to upset you, please don’t go,” she pleaded.

“No, I think it’s better that I go back to the castle. I don’t want to stand here feeling guilty for daring to have parts of my life that I don’t want to share. You might have no problems oversharing, but not everyone is like that. I was hoping that you’d understand,” he blurted out.

The contempt in his words made Belle see red.

“Oh no, you don’t get to be self-righteous because, for once, I tried to learn something about you. I’ve told you everything about myself, and yes, I thought it fair that you reciprocated. If me oversharing was such a burden to you, you could have just told me!” she hollered, feeling tears prick the corner of her eyes, but refusing to let them fall. 

“Goodnight, Princess Belle,” he said bitterly, walking away. 

Belle was left standing alone, feeling utterly stupid and miserable. Mulan strode towards her, and when she put a hand on her shoulder, Belle simply broke down; she threw her arms around her friend and cried. 

* * *

Snow White and David had insisted that all the royals prolonged their stay at the castle for a couple of days, so that they could attend the ball that would be held for Princess Emma’s eighteenth birthday; the event would now also serve to celebrate the newfound peace.

At first, Belle had been enthusiastic about the ball. Her fight with Rumplestiltskin, however, had completely changed her mood. As she put her gown on, all she could think about was that she wanted the night to end soon, so that she could rush back to Avonlea. She’d been incredibly hurt by Rumplestiltskin’s words, and she only hoped that, in the crowd, she’d see him as little as possible. It would already be hard enough to put on a smile and pretend to enjoy an evening amidst people she either didn’t know or didn’t like; the last thing she needed was to see anger or coldness in Rumplestiltskin’s eyes. 

Belle entered the great ballroom arm in arm with Mulan, who was wearing her dress uniform and was, in Belle’s humble opinion, absolutely stunning. Many heads turned to look at them, and Belle giggled seeing Mulan blush at the sudden attention she was receiving. Belle was used to organizing and attending balls in Avonlea, but nothing her small kingdom had ever organized could compare to this. The vast ballroom was extensively and exquisitely decorated, and the grandeur of the guests’ attire added even more splendor to the scene. Many of the royals, including Belle, had dressed in white, to symbolize the peace they’d fought so hard for. In that abundance of white, Cora and her daughter stood out like a sore thumb, as the two of them were donned in red and green respectively. This could easily be explained by them not having packed any white gowns, but Belle was inclined to think this had more to do with the fact that they’d not been happy with the treaties.

Belle and Mulan sought out Princess Emma, who was also dressed in white, to pay their respects and wish her a happy birthday. After they were done with the necessary formalities, they were left to wander the room, neither of them feeling inclined to dance. There had been no trace of Rumplestiltskin so far, and Belle was glad of that, so she was really surprised when someone tapped her shoulder, and she found herself face to face with him. 

“May I have a word, Princess Belle?” he asked shyly.

Belle was pleased to notice that he looked contrite, but he’d need to do more than look sorry if he wanted her to forgive him.

“Why, if I may ask? I thought yesterday you’d expressed all too well what you think of me,” she retorted angrily.

“That’s exactly what I want to talk about. I’ve come to offer you an apology and an explanation,” he said, fidgeting nervously. 

The fear of rejection was clear in his eyes and Belle wasn’t a cruel woman. He’d admitted his wrongdoings, and he was willing to be honest with her; that was all she’d been asking for. 

“Of course, Rumplestiltskin,” she conceded, her lips finally curving in a soft smile.

Rumplestiltskin was glad to hear that she’d foregone his title, meaning that she wasn’t keeping him at arm’s length anymore. Still, he eyed Mulan nervously.

“I was hoping we could speak in private,” he added. 

Mulan didn’t look at all pleased with his words, but Belle nodded her consent. Not quite reassured, Mulan settled for walking a few feet away and glaring at Rumplestiltskin from afar. 

“First of all, I want to apologize again for my behavior yesterday. I was unforgivably rude, and you did nothing to deserve it,” Rumplestiltskin repeated, buying himself time as he tried to gather up the courage to be completely honest with her. 

“Apology accepted. I do realize that I should have stopped prying when you asked me to, hence I owe you an apology as well. Please, don’t feel obliged to tell me things you’re not comfortable with,” Belle said, her better judgment for once winning over her curious nature.

Rumplestiltskin looked surprised by her offer, and for a moment she thought he would accept it, but then his resolve seemed to strengthen, and he shook his head.

“No, I think you deserve to know the truth. Would you mind taking a walk with me through the room? There’s less chance of people eavesdropping if we’re constantly moving,” he suggested, offering her his arm.

Belle gladly took it, and she held her breath in expectance as they started strolling around the edge of the ballroom, waiting for him to start talking. 

“How much do you know of Camelot’s rule during the past few decades?” he asked tentatively after a few moments. 

“Not much, I have to admit. I know that King Malcolm, the previous ruler, died mysteriously over twenty years ago, and the kingdom fell into chaos as noblemen and knights fought for control. Then, through some kind of miracle, ten years ago the rightful heir, which would be you, was found and restored to your rightful place. I know my knowledge on the matter is flawed,” she added apologetically. “But it’s really hard to find reliable documentation about it. According to some, you had been kidnapped by an evil witch and only came back to your kingdom once you managed to kill her. Some rumors report that you were in Agrabah or other far away realms, ignoring your royal responsibilities, and only came back when you ran out of money to waste. Others are ready to swear that you had been taken by the fairies… Oh my God, is that true? Is that why you hate them?” she asked, stopping dead in her tracks. 

Rumplestiltskin shook his head, flashing her a lopsided smile. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not for that, even though I have to admit it’s a fascinating theory. As for the lack of information, I’m afraid that was carefully arranged by my own counsellors,” he said enigmatically. 

Belle wanted to know more, but it was clear that Rumplestiltskin wouldn’t continue his tale until they were moving again. Once again she took his arm in hers, and they resumed walking.

“As I was saying, my counselors have meticulously kept the truth hidden, and spread all kind of false rumors to muddy the waters. They can’t bear the thought of other royals and nobles finding out that Camelot’s king lived like a poor spinner for most of his life,” Rumplestiltskin confessed. 

He had tried to keep his voice level as he made that first, important reveal, but Belle could sense his nervousness by the way his arm tensed under her touch. Rumplestiltskin wasn’t looking at her, and she wished that he would; she wanted to look in his beautiful brown eyes, and ease the fear that she was sure she would find in them. 

“A spinner?” she asked tentatively. “But why, if you have royal blood in your veins?”

“Because I had no idea I was part of the royalty. How could I, when my own father abandoned me when I was only a few days old?” Rumplestiltskin explained, his voice falling down to a whisper.

Belle stared at him in shock. He was still looking away from her, and she didn’t know what to say. She’d heard many heart-wrenching theories about Rumplestiltskin’s early years, but none of them were as terrible as the truth.

“He… he abandoned you? Why?” she asked, her voice choked with emotion. What kind of man could abandon his own flesh and blood? Who would ever inflict such pain on their son?

“Because my mother, Queen Fiona, died in childbirth. My father loved her so much that he couldn’t forgive me for taking her away from him. One night he simply snuck out of the castle and left me in the woods outside of it. The next morning he played the part of the desperate father, telling everyone that I had disappeared during the night, and everyone either believed him or didn’t care enough to try and find out the truth. Malcolm had no way to know that I had been taken in by two kind spinsters, and I suppose he spent the rest of his miserable life thinking I had been devoured by some beast that night,” Rumplestiltskin recounted, his voice starting to crack with emotion. 

“For twenty eight years I lived without knowing my origins and, for twenty eight years, I really didn’t care about them. I loved my mothers, and I was happy with them, even though we had very little. When Malcolm died, however, the kingdom fell into chaos and the situation worsened. When my mothers eventually fell ill, I couldn’t afford to pay a healer to cure them. They died in my arms, and I could do nothing to stop it.”

There were tears in Rumplestiltskin’s eyes now, and Belle wrapped her hand around his, squeezing it tightly. She didn’t want to say something and interrupt his tale; she had the feeling that he really needed to let it all out.

“Even though everything seemed hopeless and bleak, I fell in love with a girl from my village. Her name was Milah, and she brought happiness back into my life. Then Bae was born, and despite everything, I felt like the happiest man in all of the realms,” Rumplestiltskin said, his voice turning softer, a small smile forming on his lips.

“Obviously, it couldn’t last. My wife left me and our son to run off with a pirate, and I never saw her again. I was left alone, with a trade that was barely enough to put food on the table, and a babe I now had to care for alone. It wasn’t easy, and many a night I went to sleep with my stomach churning from hunger and my heart hammering with the fear that my son and I were going to starve to death. Somehow, I don’t even _know_ how, we survived, until one day, when Baelfire was eight, we were chased by wolves into the woods.”

Rumplestiltskin’s voice quivered as he remembered the utter terror he’d felt that night. He had feared for Bae’s life like never before, and his desperate determination to save his son had somehow changed his life forever. 

“I took my son in my arms, and I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, but I knew the wolves were getting closer. I lost my way, and I was absolutely desperate, when I saw a sword stuck into a large rock. I thought it was my only chance, and that maybe I could use that weapon to hold off the beasts for a while as my son ran away. I took the blade in my hands, afraid that it wouldn’t come free, but it slipped out of the rock without any effort. I turned around to face the wolves… and I saw them running away, chased off by a handful of fairy dust. Two fairies had appeared the moment I took the sword, and they hailed me as the new King of Camelot,” Rumplestiltskin explained. 

Belle eyed him in confusion. 

“What? Just like that?” she asked. 

“Apparently I had stumbled upon the notorious Excalibur, also known as The Sword in the Stone. When Malcolm died, the fairies enchanted a sword so that it could only be pulled out of the stone by the next King of Camelot. Everyone tried to pull it free, but no one could, and eventually everyone convinced themselves that the fairies had just pulled a trick on us, and the sword was forgotten. Apparently, it was just waiting for me, the rightful heir,” Rumplestiltskin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“But how could you or anyone else know that you were Malcolm’s son, if you were abandoned as a newborn?” Belle asked. 

“Now, that’s where the fairies truly come into play. The ones that had appeared to hail me king used their magic to show me my past, and prove that I truly was the rightful king. That’s when I realized that they’d always known who I was, what my father had done to me, yet they had never stepped in to help me. Not when I almost froze to death on the night my father abandoned me, not when I had to watch my mothers die, not when my innocent son was starving; none of this was enough to convince them to help me. I had two fairy godmothers out there, both fully aware of the life of hardships I was living, and it did me absolutely no good. Apparently, the Blue Fairy set the rule that fairies can’t directly interfere with human lives, but I think that if they really don’t want to mingle with us, at least they should stop acting as if they’re such a blessing to the human race,” Rumplestiltskin spat out, the bitterness and resentment clear in his voice.

Belle had no words. Now she understood Rumplestiltskin’s hatred all too well, and she felt almost overwhelmed by the amount she’d learned about him in the span of a few minutes. 

“I’m sorry for reacting badly when you asked about my relationship with the fairies, but I hope you can see why I did. I’m not ashamed of my past, but it’s a hurtful thing to remember. I was tired, nervous and angry, and I lashed out at you, who didn’t deserve it in the slightest,” Rumplestiltskin said, finally stopping walking to look Belle right in the eyes. 

He still wasn’t being completely honest. There was another reason why he’d been so prone to anger yesterday evening. As soon as the treaties were signed, he knew that his time with Belle was over. He was aware that that would be their last chat, and that they’d possibly never see each other again after they left the castle. The thought had hurt him terribly. He’d felt as though a part of him was about to be ripped away, and he’d jumped at the first chance to be angry with her because that would make things less painful. Some deep, twisted part of his soul had thought that if he just managed to stay furious with her for long enough, her absence wouldn’t hurt him. He’d been nothing but a fool. 

“You have nothing to apologize for. I had no idea of what you’d gone through, and if only I’d had the slightest clue, I wouldn’t have asked. I hope bringing up your past hasn’t upset you too much,” Belle said, inwardly cursing her curiosity. 

“Not at all,” Rumplestiltskin assured her. “Actually I was wondering if, now that there are no longer any secrets or grudges between us, I might have a dance with you?”

Belle’s eyes widened in surprise. This was the last thing she’d been expecting, and all she could do was nod lightly in response. Only when Rumplestiltskin gently put his hand around her waist did Belle realize just how close they’d gotten during the last part of their discussion. There was hardly any space between their bodies, and Rumplestiltskin didn’t need to pull her any closer before they started dancing.

It took Belle no time at all to realize that Rumplestiltskin was a perfect dancer; he was guiding her securely but gently, and she realized that she would have trusted him to guide her even if she’d been blindfolded. They fell in synch as if they’d never done anything else in their lives but dance with each other, and suddenly Belle found herself thinking that this was the real magic of dancing so many people spoke of. She’d always believed that the tales of love blossoming thanks to a ball were heavily exaggerated, but now she had to admit she’d been wrong. Belle was mesmerized by the intensity of Rumplestiltskin’s gaze, and she felt her heart flutter in her chest as he led her effortlessly through the ballroom. It was like the whole world had shrunk down to the two of them, and she didn’t want that feeling to ever end. 

Soon enough, one dance became two, then three, and eventually they lost count. They couldn’t and wouldn’t stop, because that would break the spell that had come over them. Rumplestiltskin couldn’t believe his luck. Barely an hour earlier, Belle had hardly wanted to talk to him. Now she was in his arms, more beautiful than he’d ever seen her, looking at him as if she reciprocated his feelings. It was a silly thought, really: both because she couldn’t possibly feel for him what he felt for her, and because they would never be able to act on such feelings anyway. He’d tried to fight against his growing attraction towards Princess Belle, he really had, but in vain. With her kind smiles, her incredible enthusiasm and her fierce determination, Belle had conquered his heart without any effort. Now that he’d told her everything about his past, now that he’d shared with her his most intimate secrets, he knew that there would be no forgetting her, and that his heart would always belong to her, even if they never saw each other again. He’d miss her for the rest of his life, but now he had a whole night with her to enjoy, and he wanted to make the most of it. 

They started talking again after a while, whispering and giggling as they swayed around the room. They were only vaguely aware that it was getting late, and that some guests were already leaving the castle. On any other night, Belle would have been yawning and complaining about her aching feet hours earlier, but tonight she didn’t even realize she was tired until she almost tripped over Rumplestiltskin’s feet. 

“Is everything alright?” he asked her immediately.

His gaze seemed to grow warmer whenever he was worried, and while Belle would have never wanted to see him upset, she couldn’t help but love that look; it was like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold winter night. 

“I feel dizzy,” she admitted.

It was all too much. Rumplestiltskin’s revelations, the way he held her, the furious beating of her heart; Belle wanted it all to stop, to have some time to think and calm down, and at the same time she never wanted this feeling to end. That’s why she kept dancing, even though she was starting to grow tired and her legs felt heavy.

“Kind of… light headed?” Rumplestiltskin asked her. 

Unconsciously, he pulled her closer, ready to sustain her weight should the need arise.

“Yes,” Belle confirmed in a whisper. 

“Me too. Probably from all the spinning,” Rumplestiltskin said, finally pulling them to a stop. 

“Maybe we should stop,” Belle said a moment later.

“We _have_ stopped,” he whispered back. 

Belle’s eyes widened in surprise; she hadn’t even noticed. They were really dangerously close now, and they should have definitely pulled apart; they were in a room full of people and their behavior was anything but proper. In that moment, however, they didn’t care. Belle could feel Rumplestiltskin’s breath on her face, and slowly, ever so slowly, she started leaning forward, almost without realizing it. 

There was barely any space left between them when another couple bumped into them, forcing them to break apart and reminding them both of where they were. Belle and Rumplestiltskin turned around to find Princess Emma dancing in Baelfire’s arms. They were both giggling, but they apologized for distractedly hitting them. 

As the two kids waltzed away, Rumplestiltskin turned back to look at Belle, whose cheeks were beet red from exertion and embarrassment. After what had _almost_ happened, he should just thank her for the wonderful evening and bid her goodnight. They were treading on dangerous territory, and now would have been the right time to stop.

“How about we sit for a while?” he suggested instead, offering her his arm. “I think we’re both really tired.” 

Belle gladly agreed, and together they walked away from the dance floor. Given the late hour, most people had given up dancing in favor of sitting for a chat, so it took them a while to find a free seat to catch their breath. Eventually, they found a nice loveseat in an empty corridor next to the main ballroom, and they both let out a sigh of relief as they sat down.

The noise and the music coming from the party were now muted by the distance, reduced to nothing more than a pleasant, relaxing background noise. A part of Belle wanted nothing more than to close her eyes, lay her head against Rumplestiltskin’s chest, and sleep; she was so tired, and she felt so at ease with him, so relaxed. At the same time, she’d never been more awake. Her heart was still beating furiously in her chest, and despite her tiredness she couldn’t imagine ever tearing her gaze away from Rumplestiltskin. He was so handsome tonight; he’d forgone his usual leather outfits to wear an elegant blue suit, and she really liked that color on him. 

“Why did you come back?” she asked all of a sudden. 

“What?” Rumplestiltskin said, confused.

Belle shook her head; she’d been following her own train of thoughts, and she hadn’t realized she’d only voiced the end of it. 

“I mean, why did you decide to come back to me after our fight, and explain everything to me? That’s a really personal story, you could have just let it go. You could have ignored me, or offered me an apology without further explanations,” she reasoned.

There was no reason for him to go to such lengths for a woman he might very well never see again after tonight. 

“I didn’t want to part with you on bad terms,” Rumplestiltskin said after a beat of silence. “I didn’t want to tarnish our memories of each other with that last fight. Most importantly, I wanted you to know the truth. I’m not exactly a sociable man, but the bond we’ve built in the space of the past few weeks is one of the strongest of my entire life. I thought you deserved to know the truth, just as much…” Rumplestiltskin stopped, taking a deep breath. “Just as much as I needed to tell someone about it.”

Belle gasped, putting a hand on his knee in sympathy.

“You’ve never told anyone about it before?” she asked in shock. 

“My counselors wanted to keep it as secret as possible, so it kind of became a taboo subject. All those I could talk to about it already knew the story, and they generally looked uncomfortable if I brought it up, as though they were trying to forget it themselves,” Rumplestiltskin admitted. 

“All those years without anyone to talk to,” Belle whispered. “I’m glad I could change that.”

Rumplestiltskin was looking at her as if he could hardly believe she was real, and Belle felt her breath catch in her throat as she slowly leaned forward. It was possibly the stupidest and bravest thing she’d ever done, and time seemed to slow down as she inched closer, almost expecting him to stop her, to pull back and tell her she’d completely mistaken the situation. He didn’t do any of that, and instead he leaned forward as well, closing the final distance between them and pressing his lips against hers. 

Belle felt as though her heart would burst with joy. She delved her hands into Rumplestiltskin’s hair as she deepened the kiss, and she let out a tiny moan as she realized it really was as soft as it looked. Rumplestiltskin wrapped his arms around her, pressing her flush against him, and Belle felt almost intoxicated by their closeness; she couldn’t feel or touch or see anything that wasn’t Rumplestiltskin, and yet it still wasn’t enough. She pulled back and started pressing hot kisses against his jawline and neck, completely oblivious to the world around her until a shrill laugh erupted from the end of the corridor, abruptly bringing them back to reality. 

Cora and Zelena were entering the corridor, and while they hadn’t noticed Belle and Rumplestiltskin yet, there was no way they could miss them if they walked past. Instinctively, Belle tried to pull back from Rumplestiltskin, trying to save appearances as much as possible, but he held her in place, shielding her from the women’s gaze with his body. As Belle took a good look at Rumplestiltskin’s face, she realized that pulling away from him would have done nothing to hide the truth. Rumplestiltskin’s hair was tousled, the collar of his suit completely out of place, and Belle knew she must be in a similar state of disarray. Zelena and Cora would surely see them if they tried to walk away, and Belle’s heart hammered in her chest as she realized how badly they’d screwed up. There was going to be a scandal, the party would be ruined, and possibly the peace treaties would be at risk. She’d put everything she’d fought so hard for in jeopardy, and all because she hadn’t been able to control herself. 

Some merciful deity must have listened to her prayers, because someone in the ballroom called the two women, and they turned around, walking back into the party. As soon as they were out of sight, both Belle and Rumplestiltskin let out a breath of relief. Belle pulled away from his embrace, and when they looked at each other all trace of passion was gone, replaced with a sad graveness. 

“That was close,” Belle said, and the words seemed to linger in the air, heavy with implication. 

“Are you trying to tell me that this was a mistake?” Rumplestiltskin replied, the hurt clear in his eyes. 

“No, but you know as well as I that this… whatever it is between us has to stop,” Belle said, immediately looking away from him. She couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes as she said goodbye. 

“We don’t really have a future, do we? It was foolish of us to even try.” Rumplestiltskin sighed, folding his hands in his lap. He itched to touch Belle again, to take her hand in his and tell her that everything would be fine, but he held back. Their impulsiveness had almost ruined everything, and they both knew _nothing_ would be fine if they carried on. 

“I should probably go now,” he said, standing up. “Goodnight, Princess Belle.”

He started walking away, his back to her, and Belle wanted so badly to stop him, even thought she didn’t know what for. It just didn’t seem right to simply part like this, not after everything that had transpired between them, not when a few moments before they’d been clinging to each other like their lives depended on it.

“Rumplestiltskin, wait,” she called, following him down the dark corridor. 

He stiffened at the sound of her voice, slowly turning to face her. Belle opened her mouth to talk, but the words just wouldn’t come to her. She didn’t want him to leave, she didn’t want to say goodbye, yet somehow she had to. 

“I will miss you,” was all she managed to say, her voice cracking as she tried to fight back her tears. 

Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes for a moment, praying that the gods would give him the strength to walk away. Belle was so close that he could smell her perfume, that intoxicating scent of roses that he would recognize _anywhere_ , and he wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms, bury his face in her neck and never let go. He’d give anything to forget his responsibilities for tonight only, to spend just a few more hours with her, but it would be futile and stupid. They had different kingdoms to rule, and if he allowed himself just a few more moments with her, he knew he’d never be able to let her go.

“I will miss you too,” he whispered, taking a step away from her. “But this ends now.”

He turned around and started sprinting down the corridor, desperate to get away from her before he could second-guess his choice.

Belle was left alone in the shadows, tears finally trickling down her face. As soon as Rumplestiltskin was out of sight she turned around as well, wiping her eyes with her hands, and heading back towards the ballroom. She needed to find Mulan and go back to her chambers. All she wanted now was to go home and forget.

Later that night, with his heart beating furiously in his chest, Baelfire made his way to Emma’s chambers. She greeted him with a passionate kiss as she shut the door behind him, and the thrill of doing something forbidden only seemed to add to their eagerness. Baelfire would leave the castle in the morning, and they didn’t know what would become of them after that; if they ever wanted to spend a night together, this was their last chance, and they didn’t want to miss it, consequences be damned.

* * *

Rumplestiltskin didn’t sleep at all that night, and the following morning the bags under his eyes were only comparable to his son’s. He liked to think that at least Baelfire had enjoyed the ball, and that his tiredness was due to a late night rather than a broken heart, but that could only lighten his mood so much.

Rumplestiltskin was so lost in his own grim thoughts that his son had to call him a couple of times to get his attention as they ate their breakfast.

“Papa, may I talk to you about something… private?” Baelfire asked, looking incredibly ill at ease. 

Suddenly awake, Rumplestiltskin nodded, wondering what was troubling his son so much. 

“So… we’re royals, right? I mean, of course we are, what I mean is… we have some special responsibilities, don’t we?” Baelfire stammered, nervously running a hand through his hair. 

“Of course we do, but what are you trying to say?” Rumplestiltskin asked, confused.

“What I’m trying to say is… what if those responsibilities were in contrast with your feelings? What would you do if you knew that it would be stupid to do a certain thing, but your heart told you to do it anyway?” Baelfire said, looking as if every word was an internal struggle. 

Rumplestiltskin gaped at his son. It had been stupid of him to think that Baelfire wouldn’t notice his behavior around Belle, and now his boy was subtly trying to see how bad the situation was, and if he could talk some sense into him. How far had he fallen if his own teenage son was lecturing him of his royal responsibilities?

“I’d do what I must for my kingdom’s sake,” Rumplestiltskin replied, determined to make Baelfire see that he hadn’t gone completely mad. “No matter how much it hurt, I’d put Camelot first and my heart second.”

Baelfire seemed to shrink on himself a little at his words, and Rumplestiltskin really couldn’t understand why. Maybe he was just too tired to read his son’s emotions well. 

“And how would you do that? I mean, what do you think is the best way to deal with a broken heart?” Baelfire asked.

“With a clear cut. I’d have to cut every contact with the person that caused my turmoil; no tearful goodbyes, no letters, absolutely nothing. The only way to get over a broken heart is to accept that that story is over, and mull over it as little as possible. Pain fades in time, unless you feed it,” Rumplestiltskin explained, finding it harder and harder to keep his voice from cracking. 

He’d tried to do that after Milah broke his heart. He would never forgive her for abandoning Bae, but anger was easy to deal with; it was the sadness and the loneliness that had proven hard to manage. He’d tried to forget her, to tell himself that it could have never worked, and that maybe it was better this way. Somehow, he didn’t think that would work with Belle, but it was the only chance he had; he had to at least try. 

“Thank you papa. I… I will remember your words,” Baelfire said, standing up from the table. 

“You’ve really grown up a lot, my son. I’m proud of you,” Rumplestiltskin said before Baelfire could walk away. 

His son smiled tiredly at him, then left the room.

* * *

A tense silence reigned over Belle and Mulan as their carriage slowly made its way towards Avonlea. Belle had started crying as soon as the castle was out of sight, and even now that she’d stopped sobbing she was the picture of desolation: her eyes red and puffy, her face pale, her hands nervously twisting her white handkerchief. Rumplestiltskin had barely spoken to her that morning, and his indifference had hurt her more than she thought possible. She knew there was no way they could ever be involved romantically, but at least she’d hoped they could stay friends, that she could have the comfort of exchanging letters with him from time to time, and recall the sound of his voice as she read his words. He’d clearly cut off that option as well; he no longer wanted anything to do with her, and deep down under her sorrow, Belle could feel herself growing angry with him, at how he’d simply tossed her out of his life as if she meant nothing. She knew he felt the same way about her as she did about him, and she wished she could meet him once again just to tell him that he was nothing but a dense, stubborn coward.

What was bugging Belle the most, however, was that she could sense Mulan was dying to tell her something. Her friend had been eyeing her nervously since the night before, and Belle couldn’t bear the tension anymore.

“Go ahead, say it: ‘ _I told you so_ ’,” Belle prompted her, her voice cracking from not being used for so long. 

Mulan seemed taken aback by her words, but when their eyes met there was no judgment in Mulan’s eyes. 

“I will never say that. All things considered, I was wrong in my mistrust of Rumplestiltskin: he truly cared about you. Did I guess that your relationship would be ended by the treaties of peace? Yes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you were wrong in pursuing it. We can’t choose who we love, and sometimes our heart puts us in difficult situations, forcing us to choose between our feelings and the values we’ve believed in for our entire lives,” Mulan muttered. As she spoke, the sympathy in her eyes slowly turned into something else, something akin to guilt, and Belle leaned forward, wanting to get to the bottom of the question.

“What exactly are you talking about? This isn’t just about me and Rumplestiltskin, is it?” Belle asked, her heartbreak momentarily forgotten in the face of Mulan’s own unhappiness. 

“I don’t really think this is the right moment to talk about it,” Mulan cut her off, looking more nervous than Belle had ever seen her. 

“Why not? We’re alone, the trip will be long and extremely boring, and I really couldn’t be sadder than this. I say this is the perfect moment,” Belle encouraged, taking Mulan’s hand in hers.

“I don’t want to upset you further,” Mulan muttered, looking like a trapped deer. 

“You won’t. You’re my friend, I’ll always be by your side,” Belle insisted.

“What if I won’t be by yours?” Mulan blurted out, immediately regretting her choice of words. She could have phrased it in a million different ways, and she’d chosen the worst. 

Belle pulled back a little, startled by the news. 

“What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?” Belle asked, painfully aware that her voice had grown slightly hysterical. She really didn’t want to make Mulan feel worse about whatever decision she’d made, but her nerves were already on edge today, and she found it rather hard to stay calm about anything.

“No, no, I value your friendship more than anything, and I know I’ve sworn to protect you and your family with my life, but… you’re not the only one who fell in love during our stay at the castle,” Mulan blushed furiously as she spoke, trying and failing to stop a big smile from forming on her lips. She felt cruel flashing her happiness in front of Belle, today of all days, when she was so heartbroken, but she couldn’t have hidden it for much longer. 

Belle’s eyes widened in surprise first, and then in realization. 

“Merida! You’re in love with Queen Merida, aren’t you?” she asked. 

To Mulan’s surprise, Belle was smiling, almost bouncing in her seat in excitement.

“Yes,” she answered shyly. “I am. And she has offered me a place at her court. As a guard first and then… as her queen consort should I ever want that.”

Belle launched herself off of her seat in her haste to hug her friend. She was glad that at least Mulan had found her happiness, and she really couldn’t have thought of a better match for her than the brave queen of Dunbroch. She would have been even happier if only this hadn’t meant losing her best friend, the person with whom she’d shared almost every moment of her life for the past five years.

“When will you leave?” she asked Mulan, trying to make the question sound as casual as possible. 

“I told Merida that it was my duty to escort you back to Avonlea and help you find another personal guard. After that, I’d feel free to leave, but I won’t do that until I have your permission and your blessing,” Mulan explained. 

“There will be no need to wait,” Belle said, shaking her head. “As soon as we reach Avonlea you’re free to go and take with you a few other soldiers to ensure you safe travel. You and Merida have my blessing and my most sincere congratulations. I’m sure there are plenty of good soldiers fit to be my personal guard, even though no one will ever be as special as you.”

Mulan beamed, her face lighting up with gratitude, and Belle hugged her again, hiding her face as a couple more tears slid down her face. She was happy for her friends, she truly was, but that didn’t change the fact that, in the span of a day, she’d lost her love and her best friend.

Once she arrived back home, she’d truly be alone. 

* * *

Months passed, and life went back to normal across the Enchanted Forest. Now that the never-ending conflicts between its kingdoms had finally stopped, everyone looked at the future with hope, and not even the cold winds of the winter could quell that enthusiasm. 

That year, Rumplestiltskin had decided to entrust his son with most of the preparations for the festivities of the winter solstice. He’d done that both because he thought it was time his son had a few more responsibilities in the castle, and because Rumplestiltskin hated the winter solstice. it was his birthday, the anniversary of the day his mother had died and his father had stopped loving him; there was really little to celebrate. This didn’t mean he was unwilling to help and assist his son through the preparations; they were in the middle of discussing the courses that would be served during the solstice ball, when one of their valets burst into the room, his eyes as wide as saucers. 

“Your highnesses, I’m sorry to interrupt you, but we have important visitors,” he blurted out, still trying to catch his breath after rushing to warn them.

“Who are they? And why are you so agitated?” Rumplestiltskin asked him, his calm voice hiding his nervousness. The valet was obviously shocked, and it was unusual for guests to come to the castle unannounced. There was something strange going on.

“Your highness… it’s the royal family of Misthaven,” the valet announced.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a tense silence fell over the room. It had been over two centuries since the last time a monarch of Misthaven had set foot in Camelot, ever since the small kingdom had gained its independence from it, and the relationship between the two monarchies had never been good. Queen Snow White and King David obviously knew about this, yet they had showed up to his castle unannounced, catching him unaware and unprepared. Whatever they’d come for, it was obviously bad news. 

“Well, it’s not proper to make such important guests wait. Welcome them, treat them with all the honors, and tell them to please wait until my son and I are ready to receive them in the throne room. It shouldn’t take long,” Rumplestiltskin commanded, immediately sending the room into a burst of activity. 

Baelfire looked quizzically at him, looking suddenly very young and very lost.

“What’s going on, papa?” he asked nervously. 

“I don’t know. Go back to your chambers, and change into more appropriate clothes; the sooner we are ready, the sooner we’ll have our answers,” Rumplestiltskin told him. The line of his jaw was firm, his shoulders tense, but he flashed an encouraging smile at his son. “Don’t worry too much; whatever it is, we can face it together.”

Baelfire smiled thankfully at him, then vanished into the corridor. He had no way of knowing if Emma had come along with her parents, and he really didn’t know if the thought of seeing her again made him scared or happy.

Less than an hour later, Snow White, David and Emma were led into Camelot’s throne room. Rumplestiltskin had donned his finest clothes, and the crown he usually hated wearing was set firmly on his head; no matter what Snow White and her family had come for, they had to remember that they were standing in front of a king, and that the smaller size of his kingdom didn’t make him inferior to them in any way. Despite being prepared for the worst, Rumplestiltskin greeted them with cordiality, but didn’t hesitate to ask them the reason for such an unplanned visit. At his question, Snow White nervously eyed the guards and valets standing in the room. 

“We were actually hoping that we could have this discussion in private. As you’ll find out, we’ve come to talk to you about a very personal matter,” she explained. 

The captain of Rumplestiltskin’s guards didn’t look happy at all with her request, but when Rumplestiltskin gestured at them to leave he could do nothing but obey. The two royal families were left alone, and for a moment the awkwardness and the tension was almost suffocating. Only then did Rumplestiltskin notice that Princess Emma was glaring at his son as if she were ready to strangle him. 

“As I was trying to say before, we’ve come here because of a very unexpected and embarrassing occurrence…” Snow White started off, but Emma rolled her eyes at her mother’s euphemisms, and cut her short. 

“We’re here because Prince Baelfire knocked me up and then left me without another word,” she said bitterly, earning a scandalized glance from her parents. 

As for Rumplestiltskin, for a moment he was so shocked that he believed he must have misheard her. When he turned to look at his son, however, even that vain hope faded; Baelfire had paled to the point that he looked like a ghost, and that left absolutely no doubts about the truthfulness of Emma’s statement. 

“ _You did what?_ ” Rumplestiltskin hissed at his son, as his whole world seemed to crumble under his feet. 

This had to be his fault. Somehow, he’d not only failed to notice that Baelfire was no longer just a boy, but also that his irresponsibility had crossed the line. He should have paid more attention to him, he should have known that something was wrong, he should have talked some sense into his son and stopped him from causing the greatest mess of the century. Instead, he’d been so caught up in his own feelings that he’d failed to pay attention to his son’s. He was a failure of a father. 

“I… I didn’t know! I swear! I never, I would have never…” Baelfire stammered, obviously too shocked to form coherent sentences. 

“Oh, that’s true, he didn’t know, and if it were for me he would still be in the dark about it,” Emma said, glaring daggers at her child’s father. “My parents basically forced me to come here.”

“As soon as Emma told us about it, we thought some explanations were in order,” David said, putting his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Emma is not accusing Prince Baelfire of anything.”

“Aside from being an idiot,” Emma chimed in. 

“But we thought he ought to know about this, and that we should all talk about the consequences of their recklessness,” David concluded, ignoring his daughter’s angry remark. 

“Since everyone seems to be much more informed than I am, would you mind filling me in on how exactly we got to this point?” Rumplestiltskin asked, looking pointedly at his son. 

Only when he saw the look of betrayal in his father’s eyes did Baelfire realize just how much his behavior had hurt him. They had always been very close, due to the fact that Rumplestiltskin had basically raised him alone, and now he had found out in the worst possible way that his son had not only caused a royal mess, but that he’d also been lying to him for weeks, while Emma had told her parents everything. He’d put his father into an awkward and difficult position, and he lowered his gaze in shame, wishing that he could go back in time and slap some sense into his past self. 

“As you can imagine, Emma and I met at her castle months ago. At first there was nothing romantic about it, we just liked to sneak out at night for the sake of doing something forbidden. And then, well, then I fell for her…” Baelfire stammered, his cheeks burning in embarrassment. 

“Liar,” Emma spat at him. “You tricked me the whole time. You played the part of the lovesick boy just to get into my bed, then tossed me away like garbage. Like hell I’m going to let you anywhere near my child!” she screamed at him, and David had to grab her by the arm to stop her from attacking Baelfire physically.

“Bae, is that the truth? Look at me before answering,” Rumplestiltskin asked him gravely. Today he’d found out there were many things about his son that he didn’t know, and given Emma’s accusations this was a question he _had_ to ask, but deep down he couldn’t believe that his son could ever do something like that. His Baelfire was a kind, honest boy, and while he might be irresponsible and uncaring of the rules, he was in no way a trickster. 

“I swear on my life that I never once - not ever - thought about fooling Emma. I was always honest with her, as were my feelings,” he whispered, his gaze fearful but unwavering, and in that moment Rumplestiltskin knew he was telling the truth. 

“Then why did you leave like that? I woke up and you weren’t there, I left you a message and you never answered? Why?” Emma asked, her rage leaving her and transforming into hurt. 

“I left because I was afraid of getting caught. I didn’t want either of us to get in trouble,” Baelfire explained, blushing furiously at having to recall that night in front of their parents. “Believe me, I was happier than I had ever been in my entire life. Then, when I got back to my chambers, I realized that no matter how happy I was with you, I’d have to leave in the morning, and that there would hardly be any possibilities for us to be together after that. I had been avoiding the truth for weeks, but in that moment I couldn’t deny it anymore. So I… I thought that cutting things off was the only way. I couldn’t chain you to myself without any chance for a future together. I thought you wouldn’t suffer too much, because you’d find someone better than me in no time. I would have never thought that…” Baelfire trailed off, gesturing vaguely at her belly. 

Emma looked on the verge of tears.

“Why should I believe you?” she asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

_Because I love you_ , said a voice in Baelfire’s head. But he wasn’t brave enough to tell her, not with their parents in the room, not after hurting her so much. 

“I can’t prove that I’m telling the truth, but please give me a chance to try. Just give me a chance to be part of our child’s life,” he said instead.

Only when the words _our child_ left his mouth did the truth of it all start to sink in. He was a father. In a few months, he’d have a child of his own to hold in his arms, and damn, he didn’t feel ready at all. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Emma must have felt, realizing that she was pregnant when she thought he’d been fooling her the entire time. Once again, he wished he could slap himself in the face.

“Fine, but I’m only doing it for the baby, and be aware that I’ll personally kick you out of the castle if you start acting like an idiot again,” Emma conceded, blinking furiously to stop her tears from falling.

The three adults had observed the whole exchange feeling like they were intruding on something really private, and more than once they had thought it would be better if they left. Now, however, Snow White stepped forward, taking one of Emma’s hands in hers. 

“Well, I suppose this is a good starting point. Now the question is: how shall we organize the whole thing? Would Baelfire be willing to come and stay at our castle to be closer to his child?” she asked, still eyeing him warily. 

Baelfire gulped, realizing that he would probably have a really hard time in a castle where everybody knew he had knocked up the princess and then broken her heart. Still, he had made his bed and now he had to lie in it; he was about to answer that yes, he’d be willing to do anything for his child, when his father gestured at him to wait. 

“I’m afraid there’s a more pressing issue. While I’m the first to think that my son should take his responsibilities as a father, the problem is that his child would be the rightful heir of both Camelot and Misthaven” Rumplestiltskin said gravely. “As you all know, my people will never accept to be under the same rule as Misthaven ever again. This leaves us at an impasse”

Baelfire cursed inwardly. How could he have been so foolish? There was no way out of this mess. 

“Baelfire could give up his claim to the throne,” Snow White reasoned. “This way, any child of his wouldn’t be Camelot’s heir.”

“No,” Baelfire blurted out. “I can’t do that! Camelot has hardly gotten back on its feet after the last fight for the throne, we can’t have another heirless king!”

Rumplestiltskin turned to look at his son, something akin to pride in his eyes. Baelfire did care about his people; he had just let his heart get the better of his judgment. Rumplestiltskin could hardly blame him for making the same mistake he’d almost made himself. 

“King Rumplestiltskin could marry, and give the throne another heir. He’s not old, there’s plenty of time to raise another prince to take your place,” Snow White insisted. 

Rumplestiltskin didn’t like the way she tended to order everyone around, as if other people’s legitimate concerns were only a minor inconvenience. He was about to tell her that she wasn’t in charge of deciding his private life, when a sudden thought stopped him. There weren’t many possibilities for them to get out of this situation, but one of the paths ahead of them could hold a happy ending for him as well. Overwhelmed by emotions, he told the royal family of Misthaven that he and Baelfire would need time to think things over, and that they were welcome to stay at the castle for the night. 

Once they were alone, Rumplestiltskin and Baelfire talked for hours. Baelfire told his father everything about Emma, how much he loved her, how sorry he was that he’d broken her heart. He apologized over and over again for the mess he’d caused, and Rumplestiltskin just couldn’t stay angry with him. He reassured him when he expressed his fear at becoming a father, and eventually Rumplestiltskin admitted that he had been hiding things from him as well. He told Baelfire about Belle, of how he'd walked away from her just like he’d inadvertently told him to do with Emma, and how he hoped he could fix things now. Many tears were shed, but after their discussion they both felt that a weight had been lifted from their chests, and that their bond was stronger than it had ever been. 

The following day, Rumplestiltskin’s eyes were once again filled with tears as he parted from his son, wrapping him in one last, bone-crushing hug before he set off with the royal family of Misthaven. Baelfire would go to their castle to try and sort out his relationship with Emma before their child was born; she had adamantly refused the possibility of a impromptu wedding, that would serve to save appearances, and Baelfire had agreed with her. Whatever their relationship was going to be, it had to be sincere, propriety be damned. 

Rumplestiltskin’s heart broke at the thought that, from now on, he’d only rarely see his son. He’d been by Baelfire’s side for his entire life, and as he watched the royal carriage drive away he felt as though he was suddenly missing a limb. He had never expected something like this to happen; back in his days as a simple spinner, he had believed that Baelfire would one day marry a girl from their village, or maybe from the nearby town, but either way he’d still be within a reasonable walking distance. Once Rumplestiltskin had ascended to the throne, he’d thought that Baelfire would live in the castle as a prince first, and as a king later. He’d never considered the possibility of his son going so far away, where Rumplestiltskin couldn’t reach him without several days of travel and a few carriages; he hadn’t been ready for such a separation. Truth to be told, he wouldn’t have been ready for it even after a thousand years of preparation.

He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to compose himself; he had his own journey to take, and he couldn’t waste any more time. Just an hour later, he was riding away from Camelot, with only a few of his most loyal knights alongside him; he wouldn’t let a carriage slow him down. With any luck, in two day’s time he’d be in Avonlea.

* * *

The parchment Belle had been holding fell to the floor when Cogsworth told the Princess who was waiting at the castle gates.

“King Rumplestiltskin? What is he doing here, and unannounced of all things!” her father commented briskly, rising from the throne with some effort. His recovery during the past few months had been almost miraculous, but he was still easily worn out, and he was too stubborn to follow Belle’s suggestions and rest from time to time. 

“He said it’s an important matter he will only discuss with Princess Belle. He said she’d probably understand,” Cogsworth added, mortified. 

“It’s alright, father, I can handle this,” Belle said reassuringly, gesturing at Maurice to sit once again. “Please tell King Rumplestiltskin to wait for me in the blue drawing room. I’ll be there in no time,” she told Cogsworth, who promptly scurried away. 

Belle’s breath caught in her throat when she saw Rumplestiltskin again. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he looked tired, but when he took her in his eyes lit up in a way that made her knees go weak. 

“Hey,” he said simply, not even bothering with the formalities. 

“Hey,” she repeated, not really knowing what to say. “What… uhm, what brings you here?” she asked tentatively. 

Rumplestiltskin looked away from her, embarrassed; he’d rehearsed this speech a thousand times in his head, but there really was no way to say it without making it sound awkward. Gathering all of his courage, he took one deep breath and told her everything: Emma’s pregnancy, Baelfire’s departure, Camelot’s dynastic issue. By the time he finished his tale, he was sure Belle knew what he’d come to suggest, just as he was sure she didn’t like it.

“So, why exactly are you here?” she asked briskly.

Rumplestiltskin sighed. She really wanted him to say it out loud, didn’t she? This wasn’t going well at all. He’d been so lost in his lovesick fantasies that he hadn’t stopped to consider that she might refuse his suggestion, that her feelings might have changed. 

“Camelot needs another heir, but I can’t imagine ever having a child with someone other than you,” he stammered, feeling his cheeks flash bright red. “Gaston and the others won’t dare to object, not now that I’m related to the royal family of Misthaven.”

Belle glowered at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “I’ve spent the past few months constantly dreaming of you coming back to me, picturing a thousand different scenarios, but I have to admit that this one never crossed my mind,” she said, and the harshness in her voice almost startled him. “What is it exactly that you’re after: a marriage or a business transaction?”

“Belle, you know how I feel,” Rumplestiltskin said quietly, trying and failing to calm her down. 

“No, no I don’t,” Belle rebutted. “I know how much pain it caused me to walk away from you, but how could I believe you feel the same? You dropped out of my life as if I meant nothing, as if _what we shared_ meant nothing. You barely glanced at me after the ball, and it didn’t seem to pain you too much not to do so. Either you’re the best actor I’ve ever met, or you didn’t really care.”

“How could you ever think that? Cutting you out of my life was the hardest choice I’ve ever made, and if I ignored you it’s only because I wouldn’t have been able to bear the pain of looking you in the eyes as we parted ways forever,” Rumplestiltskin explained fervently. 

The fight seemed to drain out of Belle. “You hurt me. Your distance, your indifference… it hurt me,” she admitted in a whisper.

She was so angry, and hopeful, and scared, all at the same time. She wanted to believe that her love was reciprocated, that he hadn’t come to her just for necessity, but he had already broken her heart once when he’d all but disappeared from her life. She’d spent the past few months tormenting herself about whether he had really reciprocated her feelings or not, and now she wasn’t sure about anything anymore. 

“I know, I’m sorry. I was selfish and stupid. I was trying to protect my heart, and I didn’t think about yours,” he confessed. “But I can make up for it, if only you’ll give me the chance.”

Belle snorted lightly, and Rumplestiltskin wasn’t sure if she was making fun of his proposal or if she was sincerely amused. 

“Well, you didn’t really start off right, did you? Your proposal wasn’t exactly flattering. ‘Hey, I need a child and you’re the one woman whose presence I actually enjoy, how about you marry me?’ I hope you realize how bad that sounds,” she said, but there was a bit of mirth in her voice, and her eyes were gleaming mischievously. She was asking for an apology, but she was no longer angry; no, she was teasing him. 

“Yes, that might have been… insensitive on my part,” Rumplestiltskin admitted. “But believe me, not a single day has gone by without me thinking about you. I’ve tried to forget you, but in vain. You have bewitched me, body and soul. I haven’t come here because I need a heir; I’ve come here because I finally found a way for us to be together, because I don’t want to spend another day of my life without you by my side.”

He took a few steps forward as he spoke, closing the distance between them and stopping only once he was one breath away from her. 

“I love you,” he whispered, his lips mere inches away from hers. 

Belle’s heart seemed to skip a beat at those words, and she leaned forward, taking Rumplestiltskin’s face in her hands as tears of joy started forming in her eyes. 

“I love you too,” she whispered, before pressing her lips against his. 

* * *

“This corset is going to kill me,” Emma mumbled under her breath.

The multitude of tailors fretting around her either didn’t hear her or didn’t care about her words, because they didn’t even look up from their work. She was getting married in two days, and her dress wasn’t quite ready yet. The delay was mostly due to the fact that Emma had had to fight tooth and nail against her mother about almost every single detail. Had she given Snow White free reign over her wedding, everything would have been unbearably pompous and frivolous. According to Snow White, there was no such thing as too many decorations in the castle, or too many white feathers on a wedding dress. Emma had seen a portrait of her parents on their wedding day, and she had been horrified by what her mother had been wearing. She hadn’t openly told her mother, of course, but she’d followed the making of her own dress very attentively, stopping her mother’s sneaky attempts to add more ribbons, more pearls, more _everything_. Sometimes, Emma was tempted to just throw the damn thing away and surprise everyone by showing up at the altar in her riding clothes. That would probably be an even bigger scandal than her unplanned pregnancy.

“You look absolutely stunning,” Emma heard a voice say behind her back. 

She turned around, despite the tailors’ protests, to see her father enter the room, carrying his grandson in his arms. David was looking at her as if she were the sun, and Emma felt the need to rush to hug him. She was constantly nervous these days, and her father was such a calming, comforting presence. 

“Thank you. I’d like to say the same, but it looks like Henry didn’t appreciate your clothes,” Emma said, giggling. 

Feeding Henry was always a risk for anyone’s clothes, since he had the bad habit of regurgitating a lot, and it seemed that David’s shirt had been today’s victim. 

“A shirt is a small price to pay to spend time with my grandson. I warn you, I’m getting used to having him all to myself as you, Snow and Baelfire are busy with the wedding, and I’m not sure I’ll hand him back once you’re done,” David said jokingly.

Emma laughed, but her witty retort died on her tongue when her mother entered the room, announcing the arrival of the groom’s father. Emma tried to scramble away from the crowd of tailors, anxious to meet Bae’s family once again, but her mother stopped her.

“Where do you think you’re going? You can’t parade around the castle in your wedding gown two days before the wedding,” Snow admonished her. 

Even though Emma hated to admit it, her mother was right. Grumbling under her breath, she tried to change her dress as fast as possible, which wasn’t easy given how many layers and complicated ties her dress had. If anything, her haste only made her clumsier, and in the end it probably made her waste time. 

Finally, wearing a much simpler blue gown, she reached the room where her family, - because they were all family now, weren’t they? - was having tea.

Baelfire beamed up at her as she entered the room, as he always seemed to do, especially these days. It had taken a lot of work for him to get her to trust him again after he’d abandoned her, but now Emma was happier than she’d ever been. Her gaze moved on to Belle, who was holding the newest member of their family in her arms. Little Gideon was only five months old, and Emma immediately bent down to coo over him.

“I hope the trip wasn’t too tiring for you three. Maybe we should have waited a bit for the wedding,” Emma said apologetically. When Henry had been five months old, she and Baelfire had still been very confused and very tired, and she would have died at the idea of facing a long, uncomfortable journey in a carriage.

“It was no matter, really. Besides, we absolutely didn’t want to wait any longer to see you again, and to introduce you to our little one” Belle said, bending down to press a kiss against Gideon’s forehead. 

Meanwhile, Rumplestiltskin had finally convinced David to let him hold Henry for a while, and it almost pained him to see how much his grandson had grown since he’d last seen him. Even though Rumplestiltskin had found a new family in Belle and Gideon, he still suffered dearly from his eldest son’s absence. With all the issues coming from two pregnancies, two marriages and three kingdoms, they’d hardly had any chances to see each other for the past year and a half, and the thought of his grandchild growing up far away from him only added to his longing. He hoped that things would get a bit better now that they were settling back into a somewhat normal life. 

Time seemed to fly as they chatted, slowly coming to know better this family they’d unexpectedly found themselves in. The following day however was chaos. Less than twenty four hours from the wedding, everyone in the castle seemed to be in full panic, fretting over last minute changes of decorations and doubts about the menu. Rumplestiltskin and Belle weren’t involved in the organization, but they still found the situation nerve-wracking. Looking for some peace, they walked into the gardens, and without even planning it, they both started walking towards _their_ bench, the one that had seen the beginning of their love. 

The rose bushes were in full bloom now, and Rumplestiltskin picked one of the most beautiful flowers, offering it to his wife with a little bow. Belle accepted it reverently, handling it carefully to keep the thorns far away from their son, who was resting in her arms. She was completely head over heels for Gideon, and every time Rumplestiltskin saw the way she looked at their son, he felt like he was falling in love with her all over again. He loved the tenderness in her gaze, he loved the fierce determination with which she had refused to entrust their son to a wetnurse, he loved the fact that sometimes they almost argued over which of them got to hold Gideon. He loved her. 

“This is a very special place, you know?” Belle said to their son as they sat down on the bench, Rumplestiltskin’s arm wrapped gently around her waist. “It’s the place where a wonderful story began; I bet you’d love to hear it. Once upon a time, there lived a stubborn Princess, and a gentle King…"

 


End file.
